Push button munition

ABSTRACT

An improved munition which uses an improved fuze and method of detonation of a payload at a target site; the improvement being the utilization of a technique whereby a push button is depressed to release an initiator means which rotates radially to a striker means to bring about detonation.

Berlin et al.

[541 PUSH BUTTON MUNITION 2,872,866 2/1959 Brown et a1 ..102/76 R x 3,434,421 3/1969 Berlin et a1. ..l02/64 [72] Inventors: Aaron S. Berlin, Wilmington, De1.,

Vincent C- Lmle Fauston, Md. 3,557,701 l/l971 Amell ..102/64 X [73] Assignee: The United States of America as Primary Examiner-Samuel W. Engle represented by the Secretary of the Attorney-Harry M. Saragovitz, Edward J. Kelly, l-ler- Army bert Her] and Bernard J. Ohlendorf [22] Filed: Oct. 2, 1970 [57] ABSTRACT [211 App! 77462 An improved munition which uses an improved fuze and method of detonation of a payload at a target site; [52] US. Cl. ..102/64, 102/76 R, 102/85 the improvement being the utilization of a technique [51] Int. Cl ..F42b 27/00 whereby a push button is depressed to release an in- Field of Search ..l02/8 6 6 7 76 itiator means which rotates radially to a striker means to bring about detonation. [56] References Cited 5 Claims, 2 Drawing [Figures UNITED STATES PATENTS 7 1,234,713 7/1917 Asbury ..l...102/64 x we /5 7 k h k 1451 Dec. 12,1972

PATENTED nu: 12 1972 INVENTORS Alqrofl 5. Berlin PUSH BUTTON MUNITION DEDICATORY CLAUSE The invention described herein may be manufactured, used, and licensed by or for the Government for governmental purposes without the payment to us of any royalty thereon.

Our invention relates to a fuze means for arming various types of munitions, such as grenades, utilized to deliver a payload to a target.

Prior art striker actuated fuzes were designed to have a mechanical means, such as a lever, retain the striker means in a cocked position, and the striker means and detonator or primer means were in alignment along the vertical axis of the fuze, such as disclosed in U. S. Pat. No. 3,434,421 The mechanical striker retaining means of the prior art was prevented from releasing the striker means by removably anchoring the mechanical retaining means to the fuze body by a cotter pin means or a cotter pin means in combination with a safety lip means, as shown in the aforementioned patent. Premature arming of prior art fuzes due to accidental removal of the mechanical retaining means has been along existing problem in the fuze art, and our invention was conceived and reduced to practice to overcome the aforementioned problem and to satisfy the long felt need for a fuze which is reliably safe during storage, shipping, and handling.

A principal object of our invention is to provide a reliable and safe fuze which cannot be detonated by any accidental removal of the mechanical retaining means.

Another object of our invention is to provide a safe and reliable fuze by incorporating therein a means to activate the striker means which requires depression of a push button and incorporating therein a radially aligned initiator means, such as a detonator or primer means, and striker means.

Other objects of our invention will be obvious or will appear from the specification hereinafter set forth.

FIG. 1 is a sectional view of our fuze assembly.

FIG. 2 is a view through 2-2 of FIG. 1.

Our invention, as'shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, will now be described in detail as follows.

Our fuze, shown at l in FIG. 1, is mounted within a munition case means, not shown in the drawing, by any conventional means, such as threads 2 integral with fuze body 35. The case means can be of any conventional material such as metal, rubber, plastic, etc.; of any conventional shape, such as spherical, cylindrical, etc.; of any convenient size for a given application and payload. The payload 3 can be any conventional material such as incendiary material, explosive material, chemical agent, etc., and payload 3 is loaded into a container means 4. Container means 4 can be made of any conventional material for a given application within the skill of the art, such as metal, and fuze means 1 is fixedly mounted within container means 4 by any conventional means within the skill of the art, such as bead means 5. Depression of the push button shown at 6 is prevented by inserting a pin means 7 through aligned holes in push button 6 and plug means 8; plug means 8 being fixedly mounted within fuze l by any conventional means, such as thread means 9, as shown in FIG. 1. To depress spring loaded push button 6, pin means 7 is extracted by conventional pull ring 10, partially shown in FIG. 1, which is fixedly connected to pin means 7 in any conventional manner, such as shown in FIG. 4 of U. S. Pat. No. 3,434,421 .An auxiliary aligning hole 11 is formed in the shank shown at 12 of push button 6 so that it will align with the hole means in plug means 8 which houses pin means 7 when surface 13 of push button head 14 contacts surface 15 of plug means 8; auxiliary hole 11 being provided to re-insert pin means 7 and prevent activation of fuze 1 if an election not to initiate is made subsequent to depressing push button 6 but prior to release of the push button and the munition. To activate our fuze, pin means 7 is extracted and pushbutton 6 depressed, as described above, until surface 13 of push button head 14 contacts surface 15 of plug means 8. As push button 6 is depressed, shoulders 16 force ball means 17 inwardly to put tension on spring means 18. When surface 13 contacts surface 15, tension on spring meansl8 forces ball means 17 into recesses 19 and permits push button 6 to be expelled from fuze 1 through the release of tension on spring means 20, spring means 20 being superimposed on wall means 36. Expulsion of push button 6 from fuze 1 results in withdrawal of key means 22 from keyway means 21 which permits the release of tension on spring means 23 to rotate initiator plate 24. Rotation of initiator plate 24 causes theinitiator means 25, such as a detonator or primer, to rotate toward and be detonatedby striker means 26, initiator means 25 and striker means 26 being located a predetermined distance apart to suit any given application; the initiator means being fixedly mounted within housing means 27 which is integral with initiator plate 24 in any conventional manner, such as cementing, press fitting, etc., and striker means 26 being integral with striker means mount 28, mount 28 being integral with fuze body 35. Spring means 23 is fixedly mounted by anchoring end 29 within a hole in initiator plate 25 and anchoring end 30 within a hole in the body of fuze l, as shown in FIG. 1. Upon detonation of initiator means 25, flame is projected through port '31 to ignite conventional delay train 32 which burns radially to project flame through port 33 to ignite conventional payload 3 which is disseminated in the conventional manner. Moisture is prevented from entering the munition between push button 6 sidewall and plug means 8 inside diameter by any conventional means, such as 0-ring 34.

It is obvious that other modifications can be made of our invention, and we desire our invention to be limited only by the scope of the appended claims.

We claim:

1. In a munition comprising a payload, a delivery means, and an initiator means; the improvement in combination therewith being a fuze means comprising a push button means adapted to activate the initiator means and the initiator means being radially located at a predetermined distance from a striker means adjacent to the circumference of the fuze means and within the fuze means, said fuze means comprising a plug means with a hole therethrough fixedly mounted within the fuze means; a push button means mounted within the hole, said push button means being adapted to cooperate with and be activated by a first spring means located within a recess within the shank of the push button means in the end of the push button means within the fuze means, said first spring means being surrounded by a second spring means and superimposed on a wall means integral with the munition sidewalls and superimposed on the payload; a second spring means having one end anchored in an initiator plate means and the other end anchored in the fuze body, the second spring means being adapted to actuate a radially aligned initiator means, the initiator means being adapted to rotate radially about the fuze circumference within the fuze to strike a fixedly mounted striker means; a first hole means through the shank of the push button means and adjacent to the end of the push button external to the fuze means, the first hole means being adapted to contain a pair of ball means and a third spring means, the third spring means and ball means being adapted to retain the first spring means under tension prior to depressing the push button means and to be forced toward the vertical center line of the shank of the push button means by an annular shoulder means integral with the wall of the hole in the plug means, the shoulder means being located at the base of the plug means; a recess means located adjacent to the shoulder means and adapted to receive the ball means when tension is released on the third spring means after the first hole means has passed the shoulder means when the push button means has been depressed; a second hole means located in the shank of the push button means above the first hole means, the second hole means being adapted to align with a second hole means in the plug means to insert a pin means therethrough to prevent depressing the push button means; a third hole means in the shank of the push button means located above the second hole means, the third hole means being adapted to align with the second hole means in the plug means after the push button means has been depressed to insert a pin means therein and prevent the release of tension on the first spring means which removes a key means integral with the initiator plate means from a keyway means in the shank of the push button means and expels the push button means from the fuze means; a first port means located in the initiator plate means, the first port means being adapted to project flame from the initiator means after detonation to an annular delay train means, a second port means located in the wall means, the second port means being adapted to project flame from the annular delay train to the payload, the payload being in a container means fixedly connected to the fuze means and located below the annular delay train; and an annular delay train located between the first and second port means.

' 2. The munition of claim 1 wherein the payload is a material selected from the group of materials consisting of explosive material, incendiary material, and chemical material.

3. A fuze means comprising a plug means with a hole therethrough fixedly mounted within the fuze means; a push button means mounted within the hole, said push button means being adapted to cooperate with and be activated by a first spring means located within a recess within the shank of the push button means in the end of the push button means within the fuze means, said first spring means being surrounded by a second spring means and superimposed on a wall means integral with the munition sidewalls and superimposed on the payload; a second spring means having one end anchored in an initiator plate means and the other end anchored in the fuze body, the second spring means being adapted to actuate a radially aligned initiator means, the initiator means being adapted to rotate radially about the fuze circumference within the fuze to strike a fixedly mounted striker means; a first hole means through the shank of the push button means and adjacent to the end of the push button external to the fuze means, the first hole means being adapted to contain a pair of ball means and a third spring means, the third spring means and ball means being adapted to retain the first spring means under tension prior to depression the push button means and to be forced toward the vertical center line of the shank of the push button means by an annular shoulder means integral with the wall of the hole in the plug means, the shoulder means being located at the base of the plug means; a recess means located adjacent to the shoulder means and adapted to receive the ball means when tension is released on the third spring means after the first hole means has passed the shoulder means when the push button means has been depressed; a second hole means located in the shank of the push button means above the first hole means, the second hole means being adapted to align with a second hole means in the plug means to insert a pin means therethrough to prevent depressing the push button means; a third hole means in the shank of the push button means located above the second hole means, the third hole means being adapted to align with the second hole means in the plug means after the push button means has been depressed to insert a pin means therein and prevent the release of tension on the first spring means which removes a key means integral with the initiator plate means from a keyway means in the shank of the push'button means and expel the push button means from the fuze means; a first port means located in the initiator plate means, the first port means being adapted to project flame from the initiator means after detonation to an annular delay train means; a second port means located in the wall means, the second port means being adapted to project flame from the annular delay train to the payload, the payload being in a container means fixedly connected to the fuze means and located below the annular delay train, and an annular delay train located between the first and second port means.

4. The fuze means of claim 3 wherein the payload is a material selected from the group of materials consisting of explosive material, incendiary material, and chemi cal material.

5. A method of detonating a payload within a munition comprising a payload, a delivery means and an initiator means; the improvement in combination therewith being a fuze means comprising a push button means adapted to activate the initiator means and the initiator means being radially located at a predetermined distance from a striker means adjacent to the circumference of the fuze means and within the fuze means, said fuze means comprising a plug means with a hole therethrough fixedly mounted within the fuze means; a push button means mounted within the hole, said push button means being adapted to cooperate with and be activated by a first spring means located within a recess within the shank of the push button means in the end of the push button means within the fuze means, said first spring means being surrounded by a second spring means and superimposed on a wall means integral with the munition sidewalls and superimposed on the payload; a second spring means having one end anchored in an initiatorplate means and the other end anchored in the fuze body, the second spring means being adapted to actuate a radially aligned initiator means, the initiator means being adapted to rotate radially about the fuze circumference within the fuze to strike a fixedly mounted striker means; a first hole means through the shank of the push button means and adjacent to the end of the push button external to the fuze means, the first hole means being adapted to contain a pair of ball means and third spring means, the third spring means and ball means being adapted to retain the first spring means under tension prior to depressing the push button means and to be forced toward the vertical center line of the shank of the push button means by an annular shoulder means integral with the wall of the hole in the plug means, the shoulder means being located at the base of the plug means; a recess means located adjacent to the shoulder means and adapted to receive the ball means when tension is released on the third spring means after the first hole means has passed the shoulder means when the push button means has been depressed; a second hole means located in the shank of the push button means above the first hole means, the second hole means being adapted to align with a second hole means in the plug means to insert a pin means therethrough to prevent depressing the push button means; a third hole means in the shank of the push button means located above the second hole means, the third hole means being adapted to align with the second hole means in the plug means after the push button means has been depressed to insert a pin means therein and prevent the release of tension on the first spring means which removes a key means integral with the initiator plate means from a keyway means in the shank of the push button means and expels the push button means from the fuze means; a first port means located in the initiator plate means, the first port means being adapted to project flame from the initiator means after detonation to an annular delay train means, a second port means located in the wall means, the second port means being adapted to project flame from the annular delay train to the payload, the payload being in a container means fixedly connected to the fuze means and located below the annular delay train; and an annular delay train located between the first and second port means; the method comprising the steps of depressing the push button means to force a pair of ball means against an annular shoulder and to put tension on a first spring means, forcing the pair of ball means against the annular shoulder to put tension on a second spring means located between each member of the pair of ball means, putting tension on the second spring means to release the pair of ball means into a recess means after the pair of ball means have passed the annular shoulder, releasing the pair of ball means into the recess means to release tension on the first spring means to remove a key means integral with an initiator plate means from a keyway means in a shank of the push button means and to expel the push button means from the fuze means, expelling the push button means from the fuze means to release tension on a third spring means to cause the initiator means to radially rotate toward the striker means, radially rotating the initiator means toward the striker means to detonate the initiator means, detonating the initiator means, passing flame from the detonated initiator means through a first port means to a delay train means to ignite the delay train means, igniting the: delay train means, passing flame from the ignited delay train means through a second port means to the payload to detonate the payload, and detonating the payload. 

1. In a munition comprising a payload, a delivery means, and an initiator means; the improvement in combination therewith being a fuze means comprising a push button means adapted to activate the initiator means and the initiator means being radially located at a predetermined distance from a striker means adjacent to the circumference of the fuze means and within the fuze means, said fuze means comprising a plug means with a hole therethrough fixedly mounted within the fuze means; a push button means mounted within the hole, said push button means being adapted to cooperate with and be activated by a first spring means located within a recess within the shank of the push button means in the end of the push button means within the fuze means, said first spring means being surrounded by a second spring means and superimposed on a wall means integral with the munition sidewalls and superimposed on the payload; a second spring means having one end anchored in an initiator plate means and the other end anchored in the fuze body, the second spring means being adapted to actuate a radially aligned initiator means, the initiator means being adapted to rotate radially about the fuze circuMference within the fuze to strike a fixedly mounted striker means; a first hole means through the shank of the push button means and adjacent to the end of the push button external to the fuze means, the first hole means being adapted to contain a pair of ball means and a third spring means, the third spring means and ball means being adapted to retain the first spring means under tension prior to depressing the push button means and to be forced toward the vertical center line of the shank of the push button means by an annular shoulder means integral with the wall of the hole in the plug means, the shoulder means being located at the base of the plug means; a recess means located adjacent to the shoulder means and adapted to receive the ball means when tension is released on the third spring means after the first hole means has passed the shoulder means when the push button means has been depressed; a second hole means located in the shank of the push button means above the first hole means, the second hole means being adapted to align with a second hole means in the plug means to insert a pin means therethrough to prevent depressing the push button means; a third hole means in the shank of the push button means located above the second hole means, the third hole means being adapted to align with the second hole means in the plug means after the push button means has been depressed to insert a pin means therein and prevent the release of tension on the first spring means which removes a key means integral with the initiator plate means from a keyway means in the shank of the push button means and expels the push button means from the fuze means; a first port means located in the initiator plate means, the first port means being adapted to project flame from the initiator means after detonation to an annular delay train means, a second port means located in the wall means, the second port means being adapted to project flame from the annular delay train to the payload, the payload being in a container means fixedly connected to the fuze means and located below the annular delay train; and an annular delay train located between the first and second port means.
 2. The munition of claim 1 wherein the payload is a material selected from the group of materials consisting of explosive material, incendiary material, and chemical material.
 3. A fuze means comprising a plug means with a hole therethrough fixedly mounted within the fuze means; a push button means mounted within the hole, said push button means being adapted to cooperate with and be activated by a first spring means located within a recess within the shank of the push button means in the end of the push button means within the fuze means, said first spring means being surrounded by a second spring means and superimposed on a wall means integral with the munition sidewalls and superimposed on the payload; a second spring means having one end anchored in an initiator plate means and the other end anchored in the fuze body, the second spring means being adapted to actuate a radially aligned initiator means, the initiator means being adapted to rotate radially about the fuze circumference within the fuze to strike a fixedly mounted striker means; a first hole means through the shank of the push button means and adjacent to the end of the push button external to the fuze means, the first hole means being adapted to contain a pair of ball means and a third spring means, the third spring means and ball means being adapted to retain the first spring means under tension prior to depression the push button means and to be forced toward the vertical center line of the shank of the push button means by an annular shoulder means integral with the wall of the hole in the plug means, the shoulder means being located at the base of the plug means; a recess means located adjacent to the shoulder means and adapted to receive the ball means when tension is released on the third spring means after the first hole means has passed the shouldEr means when the push button means has been depressed; a second hole means located in the shank of the push button means above the first hole means, the second hole means being adapted to align with a second hole means in the plug means to insert a pin means therethrough to prevent depressing the push button means; a third hole means in the shank of the push button means located above the second hole means, the third hole means being adapted to align with the second hole means in the plug means after the push button means has been depressed to insert a pin means therein and prevent the release of tension on the first spring means which removes a key means integral with the initiator plate means from a keyway means in the shank of the push button means and expel the push button means from the fuze means; a first port means located in the initiator plate means, the first port means being adapted to project flame from the initiator means after detonation to an annular delay train means; a second port means located in the wall means, the second port means being adapted to project flame from the annular delay train to the payload, the payload being in a container means fixedly connected to the fuze means and located below the annular delay train; and an annular delay train located between the first and second port means.
 4. The fuze means of claim 3 wherein the payload is a material selected from the group of materials consisting of explosive material, incendiary material, and chemical material.
 5. A method of detonating a payload within a munition comprising a payload, a delivery means and an initiator means; the improvement in combination therewith being a fuze means comprising a push button means adapted to activate the initiator means and the initiator means being radially located at a predetermined distance from a striker means adjacent to the circumference of the fuze means and within the fuze means, said fuze means comprising a plug means with a hole therethrough fixedly mounted within the fuze means; a push button means mounted within the hole, said push button means being adapted to cooperate with and be activated by a first spring means located within a recess within the shank of the push button means in the end of the push button means within the fuze means, said first spring means being surrounded by a second spring means and superimposed on a wall means integral with the munition sidewalls and superimposed on the payload; a second spring means having one end anchored in an initiator plate means and the other end anchored in the fuze body, the second spring means being adapted to actuate a radially aligned initiator means, the initiator means being adapted to rotate radially about the fuze circumference within the fuze to strike a fixedly mounted striker means; a first hole means through the shank of the push button means and adjacent to the end of the push button external to the fuze means, the first hole means being adapted to contain a pair of ball means and third spring means, the third spring means and ball means being adapted to retain the first spring means under tension prior to depressing the push button means and to be forced toward the vertical center line of the shank of the push button means by an annular shoulder means integral with the wall of the hole in the plug means, the shoulder means being located at the base of the plug means; a recess means located adjacent to the shoulder means and adapted to receive the ball means when tension is released on the third spring means after the first hole means has passed the shoulder means when the push button means has been depressed; a second hole means located in the shank of the push button means above the first hole means, the second hole means being adapted to align with a second hole means in the plug means to insert a pin means therethrough to prevent depressing the push button means; a third hole means in the shank of the push button means located above the second hole means, the third hole means being adApted to align with the second hole means in the plug means after the push button means has been depressed to insert a pin means therein and prevent the release of tension on the first spring means which removes a key means integral with the initiator plate means from a keyway means in the shank of the push button means and expels the push button means from the fuze means; a first port means located in the initiator plate means, the first port means being adapted to project flame from the initiator means after detonation to an annular delay train means, a second port means located in the wall means, the second port means being adapted to project flame from the annular delay train to the payload, the payload being in a container means fixedly connected to the fuze means and located below the annular delay train; and an annular delay train located between the first and second port means; the method comprising the steps of depressing the push button means to force a pair of ball means against an annular shoulder and to put tension on a first spring means, forcing the pair of ball means against the annular shoulder to put tension on a second spring means located between each member of the pair of ball means, putting tension on the second spring means to release the pair of ball means into a recess means after the pair of ball means have passed the annular shoulder, releasing the pair of ball means into the recess means to release tension on the first spring means to remove a key means integral with an initiator plate means from a keyway means in a shank of the push button means and to expel the push button means from the fuze means, expelling the push button means from the fuze means to release tension on a third spring means to cause the initiator means to radially rotate toward the striker means, radially rotating the initiator means toward the striker means to detonate the initiator means, detonating the initiator means, passing flame from the detonated initiator means through a first port means to a delay train means to ignite the delay train means, igniting the delay train means, passing flame from the ignited delay train means through a second port means to the payload to detonate the payload, and detonating the payload. 